


I'll burn like a Phoenix

by Istilldontcareaboutmyname



Series: The King, the General and the Princess [2]
Category: Bleach, Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Author has only seen the 'Twilight' movies, Bella Swan becomes a Shinigami, Bella Swan is related to Ichigo, I FELL ASLEEP, I also have no idea what time period this is supposed to be, I grew up in the former communist part of Europe, I tried the audiobooks, Multi, She also grows a backbone, The 00's were our 90's, and the early 10's were our 00's, and thus the Shiba Clan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27030712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Istilldontcareaboutmyname/pseuds/Istilldontcareaboutmyname
Summary: Bella has always been more connected to Death than anybody else she had known. But it only took the Cullens leaving and a near-death experience to find out just how deep that connection was.
Relationships: Bella Swan & Original Female Character(s), Kurosaki Ichigo & Bella Swan, Kurosaki Ichigo/Original Female Character, Kurosaki Ichigo/Urahara Kisuke/Original Female Character, mentioned
Series: The King, the General and the Princess [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972708
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. See the world out there

**Author's Note:**

> I blame the Twilight TikToks. That's my defence.

Bella had always seen shadows walking around in the corner of her eyes. They'd either zip around or lumber after big masses of people, but they disappear when she meets the Cullens. Her world is shadow-free after so many years keeping an eye out for them, but they slowly fade back into existence as they leave.

It's a cold January afternoon, the snowfall so heavy she can barely see the trees across the street. A black form stops on the street, seemingly unnoticed by the people rushing around them. Their head is topped by ginger hair so vibrant, it's almost orange. They merely glance up at her windows, then they're gone, making her jump up in surprise. Was that a hallucination or a vampire?

* * *

Angela drags her to Port Angeles a week later, hellbent on spending some time with her, with Charlie ready to back her up. She spots the same head of bright ginger standing in front of the movie theatre, talking to someone, the people clearly noticing him now. They are giving him snide-glances, and maybe his hair is not the only thing noticeable about him.

* * *

She's left alone and without after the movie ends, an urgency pulling Angela away from her after Bella reassures her that she'll call Charlie to come after her. She waves at the departing car, then turns towards a random street, her phone still in her bag. She wanders seemingly aimlessly, with a vague idea of finding the ginger-haired man again, or even one of the Cullens maybe.

Something rustles behind her, the buzz of the masses and cars muffled against trees that seem to go on for eternity. She turns around, half it to be her imagination, but all she can see is red eyes and glowing skin. Bella is transfixed, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, staring at the vampire in frozen shock. Clearly a nomad, judging by the state of her clothes, mouth open and posed to strike and...this can't be it. This is why Edward left her? To leave her to die by another vampire's hands?

A tentacle reaches out from the woods before any of them can move, snatching the vampire up and pulling her in and Bella is snapped out of her shock. Then a lumbering figure shuffles onto the path, its 'face' turned towards Bella, saliva dripping down from its grinning mouth. There are tentacles moving towards her, and she falls onto her ass when trying to move away from them.

There's another presence behind her, and before she can fully register it, the creature howls in pain, the tentacles aimed for Bella falling to the ground, smoking and charred. Her saviour moves again, and the thing disintegrates in front of her, the halves never meeting the snowy ground.

Another woman, clad in black with brown hair in a pony-tail appears in front of her, a curved blade held loosely in one of her hands. Bella swears, feeling trapped when the other woman crouches down in front of her and her eyes are not red or gold but purple.

“I thought you were a vampire too...” Slips out before she can kick her filter back online, the stranger’s confused face etched into her brain before her world turns dark. She's very pretty.

* * *

She comes to in the backseat of a car. Did Charlie come after he? Is she being kidnapped? Had Edward returned for her?

She slowly sits up, turning towards the voices talking softly over a nameless song on the radio. The ginger man is driving, the purple-eyed woman talking to him. She's the one who notices Bella sitting up, turning back towards her with a kind smile and warm expression. Her eyes were really purple, so she hadn't imagined that.

“Glad you're okay, love. You gave me a scare when you fainted in the park.” She has a British accent, and the man only grunts along, eyes trained onto the road.

“Where are we? Who are you?” Her eyes widen and the man snorts, pulling up a driveway.

“I'm Ichigo and she's Lilly, my wife with no impulse control.” She can't exactly place his accent, but judging from his name, he's Japanese. He turns to look at her when the car's finally parked, and Bella lets out an undignified little squeak. With sharp features and warm brown eyes, he looks just as beautiful as his wife. “And we brought you home with us since we have no idea where you live, and leaving you at the hospital would have been a bad idea since a Hollow might have found you there.” So that's what the monsters were called.

“And we wanted to talk to you. Only a few, gifted people can see Hollows and the form we use to defeat them.” She literally bounced out of the car, opening the door closer to Bella. “Come in and warm up. Ichigo can make a mean hot chocolate that'll warm you right up.”

“I'll call Kisuke while I'm at it. See if he can find out something interesting.”

“Maybe Kūkaku too. She does look a lot like her.” Bella was lost. She got pulled into a cosy and bohemian home that looked lived-in. There were dirty shoes near the entrance, a faint trace of smoke in the air and an open box of sweets on the coffee table in the living room.

“My name is Bella. Bella Swan.” She told Lilly, her hands clenched into fists. The woman freezes, then spins towards her, smiling.

“Lilly Blackmoor-Kurosaki. And I apologize for effectively kidnapping you. After we tell you everything you need to know, you're free to call someone to pick you up.” Her hands are raised in a placating gesture, but she stays there, waiting for Bella to respond.

“Will you tell me about everything I want to know?” For a moment, she sees golden eyes and copper hair, telling her that ' _no, she shouldn't know so many things about their dark world_ ', then Lilly laughs and they're alone, with no Edward in sight. The woman curls up in one of the armchairs, and Bella takes that as her cue to sit down on the couch.

“As much information as you want and as much as I can provide. I've only known about this side of the world for seven years. And my dear husband, as much as I adore him, is not the best at explaining things when they don't concern Shakespeare.” A hand appears in the doorway leading to the kitchen, flipping of Lilly, to which the woman only shot back an overly cheerful “Love you too, darling.”

* * *

_“The world is divided into multiple fractions, based on who lives in them. Humans and the like live in what is officially called the 'Transient world'; Hollows, that was the creature that attacked you, live in a land called Hueco Mundo and Grim Reapers, someone with powers like Ichigo and I, usually inhabit Soul Society. These are the main three, connected by what happens to the human soul after the death of their body. They can either be damned to Hell, where they will suffer for eternity(unless Ichigo doesn't kill a significant chunk of them again); or sent over to Soul Society by a Reaper; or they can become corrupted and turn into a Hollow. Then a Shinigami has the duty of purifying the Hollow, so the can cross over to Soul Society.”_

_“What about vampires? Ed...someone told me they have no soul.”_

_“That's impossible. A body can't function without a soul. They are those sparkly people, right? Riiight. I've seen one get devoured by a Hollow last week. My best guess is that vampires are stuck in a state between human with a soul fully in their body and a dead one, so they can still be affected by the stuff that crosses over. And this may be just me theorizing, so don't take this to heart, but I think their souls are already corrupted, so when they finally pass, they turn into lower-level Hollows instantly.”_

* * *

Lilly's explanation was relatively short, intermixed with sarcastic remarks from both spouses when Ichigo was not talking in rapid-fire Japanese with someone. Eventually, he walked in with a tray of three steaming mugs topped with whipped cream and what looked like a tray of cookies.

“Are there any Higginbothams in your family?” She nodded in thanks when he handed her a polka-dotted mug.

“That's my mother's maiden name. Have you found something?”

“One of the Shiba's had a mission in California a century or so ago. And he had requested a few more months of absence before returning, mentioning a possibility of expanding the family into this world. Kūkaku, at the time, thought he was full of shit, but turns out, we still have family here.”

Lilly jumps up in joy, clapping her hands together with a small giggle, and Bella has to blink to remove the image of Alice doing the same. There's no pixie cut, no golden eyes and no diamond-like skin, just a mane of curls, purple eyes and skin red from the heat.

“I'm so happy to have someone new in the family. And so near!”

“Are you sure that we're related?”

“If Kūkaku and Kisuke are sure about it, then sure.” He told her, Lilly nodding along enthusiastically from his lap, almost falling onto the ground. “Easy, love. Don't give our cousin the wrong impression from the get-go.”

“I think my first impression was her defending me.” She shared a smile with Lilly, feeling content again after so long.

* * *

She calls Charlie after that, explaining that she dumped into Renée's distant cousins that invited her in for a chat and to warm up. They make plans to meet up again during the wait, Lilly promising to start training her, and Ichigo starting up a discussion about Shakespeare that has his wife groaning and hurrying off to do the dishes.

Lilly greets Charlie when he arrives, and Bella swears she can feel the air shift around the woman, her eyes gaining an ethereal glow that seems unnoticed by her dad. Ichigo just rolls his eyes and mouth 'Friday' to her, disappearing upstairs to finish his work. She's almost choked to death by Lilly's goodbye hug, and the scent of magnolias and hot chocolate clings to her like a vice. Something finally feels right, at last.


	2. A sudden flash of clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella has an epiphany. Warning: Underage drinking and swearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music to this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPDdCJ1lEM

Angela accosts her the moment she’s out of her truck, apologies coming a mile a minute.

“It’s okay,” Bella stammers out, trying to back away from her friend, “I met some family and even made plans with them. So it turned out good, in the end. How’s your grandma?”

Her deflection works and Angela continues talking about her family for the remainder of their free time, Bella only humming and nodding along.

* * *

“Hey Arizona, they with you?” Mike bounces up to her, pointing at a jeep parked in front of the school. Lilly is sitting on its hood, seemingly arguing with Ichigo about something, He had an exasperated scowl on his face while hers shone with amusement, the needles shoved into her bun glistening in the sunlight with every move of her head.

“Yeah. He’s my cousin and his wife.” She waves back with a smile when Lilly notices her in the crowd.

“They’re married?” He pouts, and Jessica gives him a death-glare.

“Yep,” Bella shrugs, parting from the group, “see you guys on Monday!”

There’s a spring to her steps she doesn’t quite notice, the relieved sighs of her friends barely reaching her ears. Lilly beams at her, elbowing Ichigo to stop his scowling.

* * *

“I can’t drink yet. I’m just eighteen.” Bella stammers out, watching Lilly unload bottle after bottle of both wine and scotch. Ichigo is off, getting take-out and Bella is in charge of deciding what movie they were going to watch.

“We are international here, love.” Lilly winks at her, placing the glasses down onto the coffee table and collapsing on the couch in an ungraceful tangle of limbs. “Besides, if you won’t tell your dad, neither will we.”

“Still... It just feels wrong.”

“Bella, if you don’t want to drink alcohol, you will not drink alcohol.” Lilly deadpanned, waving her hands up enthusiastically when Ichigo walked in, shaking the snow off his coat. “If you only want a sip, that’s what you’ll get. And if you want a full bottle, you’ll have my undying admiration and a clearly marked way to the nearest bathroom.”

“We’re not forcing you to do anything. And I’m taking your phone if you go with the last option.”

* * *

“So, lemme get this straight,” Ichigo waved his chopsticks around, his other hand moving to take the glass slipping out of Lilly’s loose grip before the red wine ended up on the rug, “You were sad because an antique, sentient and diamond-covered, music-box broke up with you?”

Lilly nodded along, mouth full with a spring roll. Bella’s first reaction was to protest his assessment, but froze, thinking her response through.

“You forgot to the ‘blood-sucking’ part,” she finally told them, taking a gulp from her glass. The scotch burned going down, but there was already a warm glow settling over her, making everything feel cosier, with Pride and Prejudice droning on in the back.

“And the magic 8-ball girl couldn’t predict that disastrous birthday party? Was her connection spotty or did those premonitions come when only convenient?”

“And why did the whole family listen to one person? They knew that Jasper or what the fuck is his name could feel the emotions of the whole family, so why the fuck did they skedaddle?!”

“He most likely counteracted every single point they thought up before they could even vocalize it. He was a mind-reader after all.”

"Well, that just sucks balls. Massive, steel-plated balls."

Bella nodded along to Lilly's statement, relieved that finally, someone agreed with her on the weirdness of the whole situation. She gave her empty container to Ichigo, who promised to bring them water back, and sank back into the rug, her head resting against a couch. Staring up at the exposed beams of the ceiling, while Mister Darcy confessed his love to Elizabeth Bennet and Lilly talked about a date she and Kisuke had gone on, her bliss was suddenly overshadowed.

“What if he never loved me?” Slipped out before she could really fully think it through. The cushions shift next to her head, and with a thud and a curse, Lilly was sitting next to her, arm slung across her shoulders. “What if he was fascinated by the fact that he could not read my mind and that drew him in? That he was only seeking the thrill of not touching prey that willingly offered itself up? Was I only a test for his self-control? What if he was trying to control everything I did only because he couldn’t hear what was going on inside my head?”

Her vision grew blurry. There were footsteps, the TV got turned off, and Ichigo sat down on her other side. They were boxing Bella in, keeping her grounded while her perfect image of Edward finally broke and reality settled in.

* * *

She woke up with her head pounding and hair in her mouth, with a heavy arm slung across her. They were curled up across each other, their hands interlocked over her hip, Bella’s head pressed against Lilly’s neck, her pulse strong against her forehead. It felt like her mouth was full of cotton, and the Chinese had not done any favours for their breath.

There’s a weight off her shoulder, and she snuggles in closer, enjoying the warmth. Even if her entire world-view got destroyed last night, it was a lot easier to breathe now. She could move on now. The shadow looming over her life was finally gone.

“What are you smiling about?” Ichigo’s voice was heavy from sleep, and she could feel him moving, burying his head into Lilly’s hair.

“That Edward Cullen can get fucked. Broody glittering asshole.” Both started to shake with laughter, Bella joining them after a while.

“Amen!”

* * *

“You’re in a good mood,” Charlie remarks when she meets him in the kitchen, still-warm dish of homemade pasta in her hands.

“Yeah. I just realized Edward is not worth my tears.” Her dad freezes in front of the open fridge, bottle of beer in his hand. He looks at her, searching for something, and she smiles back, expression as open as she can make it. He must find what he’s looking for, a smile breaking out on his face, and he raises the bottle to toast her.

“Thank God you finally did!”

* * *

“Is the leech back?”

“Can’t I be happy without involving that dick?” She asks back, laughing when Jacob hits his head when he looks up too quickly. Sitting on one of the workbenches, she’s balancing a screwdriver on her palm, eyeing the other wall critically. If Jacob stayed low, maybe she could hit the beam without much trouble.

“’That dick’?” Jacob repeats, eyes wide. “Who are you and what have you done with Bella?”

“I had a drunken realization.” She sticks her tongue out when he gasps, clutching his heart dramatically. “And I’ve found another way to fulfil all my fantasies of Death.”

She tells him about her ability to see spirits and Ichigo and Lilly. About her lineage and the fact that she can become a Grim Reaper. That there are beings out there that can live up to centuries, and still coexist with normal humans without preying on them.

“And joining them wouldn’t mean the end of our friendship.” She finishes with a smile, tossing him a rag to wipe his hands in. “They have a heartbeat and need food. And unless you are spiritually sensitive, you won’t notice the differences. Although I have no idea if you could feel anything.”

“Why don’t you call one of them over? We could meet at the treaty-line.” He suggests, and there’s a sudden openness to his expression that she had missed before. Was her relationship with Edward so hard for him to handle?

Ichigo has classes until 8, so she dials Lilly’s number and waits, making faces at Jacob.

_“Yes, love?”_ She has to bite back a laugh when Jake mimes sipping tea, his hearing picking up her accent even through the distance.

“Are you free? Jake wants to meet you.”

_“Sure thing. Where should I meet you guys?”_

“I’ll text you the address?” He nods at her question, stashing his tools away.

_“See you there in a bit!”_ Bella hands her phone to the wolf, looking around the garage to see if she needs to take anything else with her.

“We should head out. She can be pretty fast.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll, people! Another two chapters already in the work!
> 
> Ps: Feel free to roast me for my drawing skills! I can't really draw anything resembling faces and I didn't have my pencils with me for this one: https://imgur.com/TRRq6sY

Lilly is already waiting for them in the clearing they set up the meeting. She’s sitting on a stump, the heels of her uniform-boots methodically thumping against the wood. She waves at them and Bella nearly falls over when Jacob also waves back.

“What? She was waving at us!” He tells her when he notices her incredulous expression.

“She’s in her spirit form! Normal humans – sorry – shouldn’t be able to see her!”

“There are wolves in Soul Society. One of them was even a Captain,” Lilly tells them, appearing next to them soundlessly. Jacob jumps back, eyes wide, and Lilly just winks at him extending her hand. “Lillian Blackmoor-Kurosaki. But you can call me Lilly.”

“Jacob Black. You smell like a fox.” Lilly throws her head back in laughter, Jacob’s hand still grasped in hers. Her eyes are gold when she looks back at him, and with a warm pulse of feral Spiritual Pressure, nine tails materialize behind her, swaying softly in the breeze.

* * *

They get along like a house on fire, Lilly’s more feral traits surfacing with every minute spent together. There’s clear interest on Jake’s face, and Bella watches him drink in the sight of Lilly in her uniform sitting on a stump like a throne until the sunlight hits her rings. She pats him on the shoulder when the woman is distracted and pretends she doesn’t notice the amused glint in Lilly’s eyes. 

“What are you planning to do with her?” Jacob asks Lilly, and Bella throws a rock at him.

“I want to train her.”

“What are you going to teach her?”

“How to control her Spiritual Pressure, connect and use her blade and function in all of the worlds on her own.”

“Good.”

* * *

“Which one us do you want to go with you?” Ichigo asks Bella when she buckles herself in. Her head feels so much lighter with her hair in a long bob. The hairstylist had even curled it a little for her, and now she feels another step away from her past. “It suits you.”

“Thanks and I have no idea. Even Kisuke would be fine,” he chuckles at that, pulling away from the curb.

“I can’t wait to see his face when he finds that out.”

The conversation dies down as they drive off towards Forks, Bella musing about her future trip to Soul Society and Ichigo most likely thinking about his work. Or Soul Society. He usually sported the same scowl when it came those two.

* * *

She already misses the chain extending from her chest, even if it had only been present for a few mere minutes. Ichigo catches her when they pass the Gate to Soul Society, and Bella stands there frozen for a couple of minutes, drinking in the city with white walls and Eastern style that will house her too, one day. The black butterfly that had guided them through the Gate does a loop around them, then settles on a nearby post, clearly waiting for them to return.

Bella nods at Ichigo when he raises an eyebrow in question, watching in amazement as he opens a portal with a wave of his hand.

* * *

They return with a dagger-like sword – _A tantō, Bella. It's called a tantō_ – and restless whispers in her ears. They coil around her mind like Asagiri’s mist, so close and yet so out of reach. It bugs her, leaving her with an itch under her skin that fills her with restless energy.

Her mind is still filled with those whispers on Monday, the busy hallways only drowning it out slightly. _You’ll first have to learn how to be its companion, Isabella_ , Kisuke had told her the day before, and she took those words to heart. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to reach out for them, so she could finally hear those words clearly.

“Ohmygosh!” Jessica pounces at her, breaking her concentration and the haze over her mind. Right, she was not a Reaper-in-training only, but a human too. How did Ichigo put up with this? “You cut your hair! Why? Where? When?”

“This weekend. In Port Angeles. And I wanted a change,” Bella answers her questions in reverse, smiling at Angela when she compliments her new hairdo. She catches Jessica’s eye twitch, and she remembers one of Edward’s random comments she’d barely reacted to at that time. That Jessica only wanted to be her friend for popularity.

The bell rings and there’s a bag in her way that nearly makes her fall on her nose. Instead, she kicks her other leg forward, changing her centre of gravity, just like Ichigo had told her to. She has no room to do a tumble forward, so she settles for nearly falling on her back, to the shock of her friends. At least her training works?

* * *

Jacob laughs at her frustration. She flips him off, still trying to balance on a random boulder, praying to every god out there that she’ll only have to fight Lilly on a tightrope a couple of years down the line. When she would not be at such a big risk of breaking her… everything.

“Look on the bright side Bells! You have developed a sense of balance!”

“Yay,” she deadpans, shifting from one foot to another, ”I get to survive for another week!”

“Can’t you still bow out of it?”

“I could, and they wouldn’t resent me. But I already have a blade and Kisuke has started teaching me Kidou, and it’ll bug me for eternity if I stop now.

“Which one is ‘Kisuke’?”

“Their third. A blond guy who likes wearing traditional clothing and is around four hundred.” She burst out laughing when Jacob falls on his ass, shortly following him when she loses her balance.

* * *

_The world around her is foggy, random figures darting around, barely visible._

_“Who are you?” She asks the unknown, and something stops in front of her. A smiling mask looks back at her, their belt clinking with other masks from their open robe. There’s a shield next to them, blood dripping down onto the nothingness below them._

_**“Do you really want to know?”** They respond as memories of all her failures start playing around them. Bella stares at them, then glances back at the spirit. _

_“Yes,” she nods, wincing slightly when her complaining gets louder, “I want to know. Just as much as I want to become a Grim Reaper.”_

_**“Good. I am an illusion. A trick of your mind that scares you.”** As they speak, the world fades around them, the dream coming to an end. **“I am…”**_

* * *

Bella bolts upright in her bed, almost falling down from it. She smiles, reaching for her phone with hands shaking from excitement.

_“Phantasmagoria.”_

It’s a simple text, but she knows Lilly will understand it. She rushes through getting ready, hoping to catch her dad while he was still home.

“Dad! I did it! I know their name!”

* * *

The first time she meets Hirako Shinji, he catches her unaware during training, and she stabs him with her longsword. Ichigo bursts out laughing while Lilly rushes forward, hands glowing green and shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter.

“That’s quite a greeting, Sunshine. But we’ll have ta work on yer technique.” He tells her when Bella flails around, trying to apologize and help out at the same time.

“Don’t worry, he had worse.” Ichigo claps her on the back, wiping away his tears. “You should have aimed higher, though. Correct that monstrosity.”

Ichigo gestures towards the other’s head, and Bella took her time examining him. He was shorter than Ichigo, still lanky, with a smile that reminded her of the Cheshire Cat. The ‘monstrosity’, as Ichigo had called it, was a lopsided fringe that made him look uneven.

* * *

They share a blade-type, so Lilly and Ichigo leave them alone most of the time when it comes to her training.

“Don’t you have a Division to run?”

“Lilly-chan has asked for a trial period as Captain,” He shrugs, flopping down onto the ground next to her, “And I jumped at the chance of a vacation.”

“And you're spending your ‘vacation’ with teaching me. Very wise of you, Ancient One.”

“Didn’t they teach you not to sass your teachers, Sunshine?”

“Only to not do it with the competent ones.”


	5. Chapter 5

Bella dances up to her front door, followed by Ichigo’s laughter. She’s still pleasantly buzzed from last night, the world a little unfocused at the edges as she spins around, saluting her cousin with Shinji’s stolen hat.

Skipping into the kitchen, she stops at the bin to throw out the ‘cookies’ Orihime had sent over with Kisuke, There’s a faint purple miasma around them and she wrinkles her nose, turning to write Charlie a note about the possibly hazardous waste in there.

Humming _Milord_ as she made her way up to her room, she nearly knocks over the nail polish bottles on her nightstand with her backpack. She needed to give those back to Angela and Jessica. Pushing aside her newest knitting project, she digs around her bag, fishing out the care-package sent by Yuzu and Rukia’s drawing of Bella.

She lets out a triumphant ‘whoop’ when she finds a box of matcha pocky in the package. She skips over to her desk, ready to pin the drawing onto her corkboard next to various photos and mementoes. There’s a new pair of safety glasses on her book about Kidou. Looks like her dad went out shopping. Her typewriter had been moved too, the tapestry of the Shiba clan covering it up now. She really needed to send Uryuu a ‘thank you’ letter.

Phantasmagoria laughs when Bella mimes Shinji and Ichigo’s dancing from the previous night with one of her pillows, even dipping it for the added flair. They had celebrated Ichigo’s and Lilly’s anniversary, also inviting over Renji and Rukia. It was an amazing evening, even if she didn’t remember half of it after she had kissed Lilly on a dare.

She has new friends, even more family and something more interesting going on with Shinji, although the age-difference is even more stellar than before. She has goals set for her future, hobbies outside of relationships. She is happy. Happier than ever. There’s power running through her veins, a companion who’ll be there with her forever and a safety-net that accepts her, no matter what she decides to change.

She falls into bed with a smile that has her cheeks aching, fantasizing about the shopping-trip Lilly had promised. Thrift-shopping in London sounded amazing.

* * *

“Why are you running after him?” Jacob asks her when she’s trying to write a note to Charlie, trying to explain the situation in as few words she can.

“Because he’s Alice’s brother.” She pins it to the fridge, reaching for her phone to call Ichigo for help. “And since he’s so obsessed with me, I’ll be the only one able to stop him.”

“But what if you stayed here and let him read the information from her mind?”

“I have other reasons too. There’s a council I need to talk with and if everything goes according to plan, Ichigo and Lilly will be there too.” Ichigo finally picks up, and she launches into an explanation, following Alice out of the house.

* * *

Bella curses the fact she can’t Shunpo while still in her body when faced with the crowds of Volterra. They were closely packed, and she only had a vague idea of where she needed to go, so stepping on a few toes was inevitable.

There’s a clock tower to her right and she turns abruptly, ducking under a random arm and jumping into the fountain. She can feel Ichigo and Lilly trail her, taking the easier route on the rooftops.

She slams into Edward with as much force as she can muster, knocking him back into the shadows. His eyes are wide as he takes her in, sprawled out onto the cold stone floor. He...looks like shit. Even with his supernatural good looks, he looks haunted and even paler. His eyes are dark, lips shining with venom as he tried to get his thoughts together. This was the boy she let ruin her life. He looks at her, then at the crowds behind her, his expression changing.

“Don’t you dare! I didn’t come here for you to try killing yourself again!”

His eyes widen, and she barely has time to catch herself before there are cold arms around her, pulling her close against his cold chest. She’d forgotten how it felt, with Jacob and Lilly burning hot, like furnaces, and Ichigo and Charlie having normal temperatures. He kisses her, and for a brief moment, Bella is lost in her past. She’s just a normal human girl with a vampire boyfriend, whom she loves more than anything.

Then Phantasmagoria roars in her head, threatening their bond. What is she doing? She had promised to get over him, didn’t she? Breaking away, she wipes her mouth, panting. This was a mistake. But at least she now knew she could resist him.

* * *

_“_ _I_ _r_ _enounce the protection of the Cullen Clan.”_ Her words seemed to echo in the large chamber they were in. Alice and Edward whirled around to stare at her, both of them looking betrayed. However, she could feel Lilly and Ichigo just outside the castle and even Phantasmagoria was rearing to go, even if they barely lasted a couple of minutes during their Release. “And I refuse to become a vampire!” Another nail in the coffin of her past.

Aro, or whatever was his name, looked shocked, the members of his guard remaining indifferent.

“Bella you can’t!” Edward tried to grab her arm, but she sidestepped him, flaring her Spiritual Pressure.

“You do realize, Isabella, that you’re choosing death,” Aro told her, eyes full of glee at the idea of a prospective meal.

“Good thing she’d already done that months ago.” Ichigo and Lilly appeared next to her, pale lavender mist enveloping them. The vampires reeled back, the guard rallying around their King and Bella took a moment to enjoy the fear of their expression before dropping her body.

The change was still dizzying and she had had to grab onto Lilly for support.

“Done. Technically, I’m dead right now,” she tells Aro, smiling at him as she shifts her weight over to Phantasmagoria. Her blade is there to support her, offering up one gruesome illusion after the other when the Italian vampires are still poised to attack.

Edward lets out a pained sound, lunging at her body. Lilly growls at him, eyes flashing gold, as he cradles it close to his chest, checking for a pulse. The mist shifts around them, coalescing into her signature khopeshes and Ichigo pulls out Ossan, holding it next to his hip.

"What did you do?!” He hisses at her, and Bella raises an eyebrow at his angry expression. She glances at Alice, who has her hands covering her mouth, eyes wide, and kneels down to be on the same level as Edward.

“I chose a long life,” It’s satisfying to throw his words back at him and his eyes widen when he hears her heartbeat, still powerful and strong even without a body.

“The Shiba Clan has decided to pursue the education and protection of one of their still human members, namely Isabella Swan.” Ichigo told the Volturi, back straight and head held high. She had to bite back a laugh as Lilly shifted beside her, letting out a dreamy sigh. “She is a valuable member of our family. Any offence done against her is an offence done against our Clan, and the retribution will be dire.”

They may have been a clan with few members, but, besides Bella, who was lacking in training, they were powerhouses. Former assassins and people who took down gods when pushed into action. And she could shield them if needed. If the pain Jane had inflicted on Edward could spread to them too. And they had friends. Lilly had told her multiple times that her cousins would help her in need, and where Kisuke went, Yoruichi followed.

* * *

They let them go when Ichigo brings his Reiatsu down on them like a hammer. It crushes her ribs and makes breathing harder, but it’s worth it when the vampires collapse around them. Lilly is holding her, eyes still glued to Edward, her scowl mirroring her husband’s.

* * *

Bella shares a look with Lilly when she helps her stand after re-entering her body. The air shifts around them, the khopeshes flashing briefly, and Edward lets out a pained gasp.

“Bella…”

“We’ll talk when we get home.” She interrupts him, turning towards the exit. She links arms with Lilly, both of them smiling in satisfaction and they walk away from the Volturi, humming. Ichigo just lets out a groan, and there is shuffling behind them. Bella looks back long enough to see him grab Edward by the robe and drag him out of there, Alice trailing after them.

* * *

They don’t talk on the plane. Bella calls Charlie, tells him what happened, while Edward glares at her and Alice looks lost, then she walks back to Lilly and Ichigo, curling up against her side.

Shinji is waiting for them at the airport, and she greets him with her middle finger when he bursts out laughing at her hair.

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in.”

“Glad to see you too, Sunshine. I see Italy has done wonders to your hair.”

“And you’re still as ugly as ever. And an asshole.”

“Should we...intervene?” Alice asks Ichigo behind them, Lilly glaring Edward into silence.

“No need. That’s just how they flirt.”

* * *

They pile into Lilly’s jeep, and she takes great pleasure in Edward’s face when she snuggles up against Shinji, Alice squealing in delight from the back. Lilly turns on the radio and the rest of the trip is filled with three of them singing while Ichigo hums along and Edward stares out the window.

The cruiser is in their driveway when they finally reach her house.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? We shouldn’t talk with your dad also there,” Edward finally speaks up, still sitting in the car.

“He already knows, kid.”

* * *

“Your hair is so…” Alice tells her the moment they are alone in their kitchen. She’d been staring at her lob for a while now, most likely trying to decide if the present had matched up with her visions.

“Hopefully not as bad as Shinji's?” Bella offers, pointing towards one of the cupboards. If she remembered correctly, they still had some of her dad’s favourite chocolate-chip cookies.

“I heard that!” Rings through the house and Alice lets out a little chuckle at his indignation. Damn, she’d missed her.

“Good!” She yells back, winking at the vampire who presents her find triumphantly.

* * *

“You had 600 years to develop your sense of style and came up with this,” she gestures at his head when they return to the living room, “so I think you deserve the teasing.”

“Like you’re the one to talk. I’ve seen yer pictures before they turned up.” He jabs a thumb in the Kurosakis general direction, only to get a pillow to the back of his head in response.

“I’m in my ‘period of experimentation’. What’s your excuse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie knows about everything.  
> And a quick disclaimer before anyone gets ideas: Bella will only have feelings in this story, and no romantic relationships. Maybe in the epilogue, but not right now.  
> And while I love Shinji as a character, man do I hate his bangs after the time skip. I have uneven bangs too, but not like that. That looks like he got drunk one night, found a pair of scissors and went to town with them.


	6. Shed my skin and build me up again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more chapter, dealing with Victoria and her army, then the epilogue. 
> 
> On another note, I have an Artbreeder account! I joined TikTok a while ago, and got hooked when I saw what people could create with a simple application/site/whatever it is. A couple of my creations are concepts for what I imagine Lilly, my female Harry Potter and Asagiri's(Lilly's Zanpakutō) human form, would look like.   
> https://www.artbreeder.com/dontcareaboutmyname

“The Cullens are back!” Jessica tells her the next morning, Angela hot on her heels.

“Really? What’s their alibi?” She shrugs her bag off, waving at Amy from Algebra as she tries to fish out her lunch before it gets squished.

“Their dad needed to spend a few months in Europe and he took the whole family with him. To get the ones who want to study there more ‘introduced’ with the schools.”

“That’s very nice of him. What?” Both of her friends were staring at her, almost like they were expecting her to bolt after the newly-returned vampires.

“Aren’t you gonna, you know, run to them?”

“Nope. We have to get to classes first. Maybe I’ll say ‘hi’ during lunch.”

* * *

The engine of her truck is missing. Her dad is at work, both Lilly and Ichigo are working and fuck knows if Shinji can drive. Bella lets out an annoyed groan just as the door on the passenger side opens and her ex plops his sparkly ass down next to her.

“Was it necessary to ruin my truck?”

“You would have driven off otherwise.”

“Damn right I would have driven off. Do you have any idea how much work I have to do?!” She snaps at him, ruining her bun when she runs a hand through her hair.

“I just wanted to talk with you. Alone. To make things right.”

“What things? You broke up with me, left me alone in a forest then got the whole family to move. I broke down, moved on and got my life better.”

“But you came to save me! You kissed me!” He tries, grabbing her shoulder.

“I did it for Alice,” Bella slaps his hand away, inching closer to the door, “And I was caught up in my memories. As much as I...dislike our past, I was happy with you. But I grew past that. You broke me, Edward, and now I’m not the same.”

“But we could be happy again! We were perfect together, weren’t we? We can be that again!”

“You were what I wanted. But not what I needed.” Phantasmagoria laughed in her head, breaking their glowering for a while. “I don’t want a romantic relationship right now. Especially not with you, Edward.”

“Then what about that blond guy? Is he an exception?”

“Fuck no!” She could have slapped that satisfied smirk off his smug face. But her Kaido was just a vague idea based on theory and a few explanations given by Kisuke in a hurry. “Just because we have something between us doesn’t mean we want a relationship. Maybe in the future, yes, but not right now. We want to take things slow.”

“Bella…”

“Get out of my car, Edward. Just...leave already.” She leaned her head onto the steering wheel, already drained by the conformation. “And put my engine back.”

“Please, Bella. We can still make it work.”

“No, Edward, we can’t! We don’t have anything between us to make it ’work’! Get it through that crystallized head of yours!”

* * *

Alice is waiting for her on the porch, a grocery bag sitting next to her. She looks anxious, foot tapping against one of the steps.

“Tell me more about the Grim Reapers?” She asks when they step into the kitchen, pulling out a carton of ice-cream from the bag.

“You might be my favourite Cullen,” Bella tells her with a teary smile, showing her backpack onto one of the chairs.

“Just don’t tell Emmett,” Alice laughs, pulling her into the living room.

* * *

“I forgive you.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“I forgive you,” she repeats, rolling her eyes. “For doing what you did on my birthday. It was instinct taking over.” Jasper stares at her and Bella has the urge to stick her tongue out. Maybe she was spending too much time with Shinji.

“That was quite unexpected, darlin’.”

“Hadn’t Alice told you? I’m full of surprises nowadays.”

* * *

“The speech is going to be a mess.”

“No, it’s going to be fine. And move over, Jess, you almost spilled my lunch.” Bella shot Jessica an unimpressed look, picking up her lunch box with both hands. She was not going to let Jessica spoils Yuzu’s cooking now that she finally got a chance to savour it.

“And besides, most people will be too nervous to remember it.”

“Or they’ll be dreaming about their future,” Alice added to Angela’s comment, almost vibrating in her seat. She seemed to thrive between the mortals and Bella gave her an encouraging smile. She liked the Cullens, she really did, but they were too cold and quiet for someone like Alice. Or her.

“You could write about that!” Mike piped up, almost falling off his chair. Jasper chuckled at him, making the rest of the girls gape.

“Tell the masses how we’ve decided to spread out across the states.” Ben toasted her with his juice-box and Bella nearly choked on her inarizushi when he managed to splash it over Jessica’s notes.

“And don’t forget our little Bells here! Going to Japan of all places.”

“Thanks, Mike. I almost forgot about that.”

“Oooh, are you going after Shinji?” Alice piped up, and Bella let out a groan, covering her eyes with her free hand.

“Not you too. I want to go to Tokyo University for their courses on Japanese Literature, and not because Shinji works in the country.”

“Wait. Japanese Literature?”

“Yes. I got hooked a while ago.”

* * *

“I feel bad about this, Sunshine.”

“My cooking or the results of the meeting with the Cullens?” The blond peers over her shoulder, staring at the fresh plate of gyoza on the counter, then shrugs and returns to the table.

“The meeting. And your cooking looks fine. A little burnt, maybe.”

“Do you even know how to cook?”

* * *

_“You might be taller than me, blondie, but if you keep on sneering like that, I will break your kneecaps,” Lilly cheerfully tells Rosalie, making Ichigo groan. Striding up to Carlisle, she held her hand out, smiling warmly at the vampire. “I’m Lillian Blackmoor-Kurosaki, the head of the family when we’re in the Transient World. A pleasure to make your acquittance”_

_“Carlisle Cullen, patriarch of the Olympic Coven. And the pleasure is mine.” He winces when their hands connect, staring down at her in wonder. She’s still smiling, with her eyes closed, doing a shockingly good impersonation of Kisuke._

_“If you had wanted a power-play, dear doctor, you should have told me,” the air shifts and her tails unravel, making the vampires jump back in terror. “I would have started with something more intimidating.”_

_“We didn’t come here to make enemies, sweetheart.” Ichigo tells her, and Lilly steps back, her tails disappearing.“I’m her husband, Kurosaki Ichigo, and this is Hirako Shinji, a high ranking official in our world and a family friend.” Edward turns his head away slightly, and Alice glares at him when he says something inaudible to normal ears._

_“Don’t insult my wife, Sparkly.” He growls out, placing a hand onto her shoulder. His eyes are tinted gold, making the vampires reel back again. Welp, time to play the peace-maker._

_“Shouldn’t we put our differences away? At least for today?” She steps between the two groups, Alice joining her, Jasper following her just a few steps later._

_“And we haven’t even introduced ourselves!”_

* * *

“Your insults cut deeper than any blade. I’ll never be able to recover,” he tells her, clutching at his chest dramatically and Bella contemplates throwing her slipper at him. But the tiles were cold and Shinji would have dodged her projectile.

“Set the table while you’re at it!” Shinji salutes, and Bella sticks her tongue out at him, turning back to her cooking. Humming a random tune, she turns the stove off, then reaches for the kettle, wondering if they had enough tea-leaves to prepare them tea.


End file.
